IAGR launches awareness week against unlicensed online betting

The International Association of Gaming Regulators, IAGR, is launching the first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week (IGAW). The event will take place from 9 to 13 November and will focus on the risks of unlicensed online betting sites. The association's members, consumer protection organisations and responsible gambling organisations will also support the campaign.

The core message of the campaign is simple: players should check whether a site is licensed before they bet. For this purpose, CheckBeforeYouPlay.org will go live. Users will be able to enter the address of a betting site there to find out its licence status. Short videos, social media content and talking points prepared for members will be made available in English and Spanish.

IAGR President Ben Haden said that online betting crosses borders, so regulators face a shared problem. IAGR's first Director General, Kevin Mullally, said people often assume that a professional-looking site is trustworthy. According to Mullally, winnings may go unpaid on unlicensed sites, disputes become harder to resolve, and personal information may be misused.

The association also stresses that unlicensed sites do not provide the same responsible gambling safeguards as licensed operators. It further warns that money deposited on these sites may end up supporting criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking or the financing of terrorism.